1 Peter 2:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

NIV: now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

NASB: if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

CSB: if you have tasted that the Lord is good.

NLT: now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

KJV: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

NKJV: if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The previous verse includes a command from God to Christians: crave "pure spiritual milk" as a newborn baby craves milk, so you can grow up in your salvation. This verse concludes that thought by referencing Psalm 34:8. Depending on the translation, the verse either starts with the word "if" or "since." Some choose "since," assuming that Peter's readers had indeed tasted that the Lord is good. Still, the word "if" encourages us to think about our answer to the question.

How have we tasted that the Lord is good? Have we received comfort and confidence in knowing that God has caused us to be born again into a living hope (1 Peter 1:3)? Have we experienced joy in believing in Him (1 Peter 1:8)? Have we found great purpose in the ability to set ourselves aside and give genuine love to each other (1 Peter 1:22)? Peter assumes those things to be true of his readers and of all Christians. Having tasted that the Lord is good should increase our appetite for Him. It should make us even hungrier for the Word of God.

Don't be confused, though. Peter is not suggesting that we "taste" the circumstances of the moment to see if the Lord is good. He has already written that his readers may be suffering greatly (1 Peter 1:6). In fact, we all suffer. We "taste" the goodness of the Lord in and through our suffering and in His promises that our suffering will end as we continue on with Him forever.

1 Peter 2:1–12 describes the spiritual house God is building. Jesus is the perfect foundation stone God has chosen for the house. Those who trust in Him are also living stones used to build the house. In addition, we individually serve as both the priests and the spiritual sacrifices, our lives offered to the builder. Thus we must live good lives, as strangers in the world preparing to go home to be with our Father, engaged in battle against our desire to sin.

Peter gets specific about what it means to live as God’s set-apart people. Christ is the foundation stone of the spiritual house God is building. We must engage in battle with our selfishness and desire to sin. This includes submitting to human authorities, no matter how evil or harsh. It means enduring suffering, as Christ did for our sake when He died on the cross. Our role is not to fight a physical war for justice here; we will be going home soon.

First Peter 1 described the glorious reality of our present and future as God’s children, by His grace and through our faith in Jesus. He called us a holy people redeemed by God for new purposes. That means believers must live differently than those in the world around us. In this chapter, Peter narrows down exactly what it means to lead a holy life, including doing battle with our own desire to sin. This also means suffering under human authorities, even unjust ones.

Some 30 years after the resurrection of Jesus, Christians are facing greater persecution for their faith. How should they respond? How should we respond to suffering today? The apostle Peter writes this letter both to comfort believers and to encourage them to stay strong. He urges them to put all their hope in their perfect future with Christ, and to obey and trust Him in the present, even in their suffering. Christ suffered greatly; now the Christ-followers have the opportunity to follow Him even in this, showing His grace and power in their hopefulness, obedience, and faith.